What I Need
by eclecticdinosaurs
Summary: Derek and Stiles have a habit. One leaves the window open and the other comes through it.


**_I like reviews. Be nice. Be constructive._**

**_This is loosely based from Love Is All I Got by Crystal Fighters._**

* * *

He didn't know how he got there.

He remembered the fight.

He remembered the hunters sprinting through his lands and attacking the pack. He remembered the bullets shot and the howls of pain.

He remembered the blood that stained the leaves and tree bark.

They'd won. He knew everyone was safe.

But he didn't remember leaving the house after everyone left home. The road there was a blur as was climbing through the window.

He _did_ remember the window being open, as if he were expected, which Derek guessed he was. Climbing through that window every night was a habit he wouldn't admit.

His habit.

And having the window open was Stiles's.

o.o.o.o.o

It was a silent agreement between them.

At first it started because he needed to hide (no thanks to Scott and Stiles). Later on it was for research, something that needed extreme patience which the alpha lacked. He didn't even threaten Stiles anymore.

Something the teenager noted.

"What? No threatening to rip my throat out tonight?" Stiles had asked in mock surprise a few weeks back. "Be careful, people might talk."

"Then I'll rip _**their**_ throats out," Derek glared as he settled on the bed. Finding a comfortable position he continued, "After I rip yours out."

"Well of course. That's the sour wolf I know and love." Stiles turned to his laptop, missing Derek's smile.

People didn't talk, but Stiles talked for them. Derek was almost certain that the teens mouth was connected to his thoughts, no filtration what so ever. Sometimes he talked to him, others to himself. The only times he was silent was when he was too tired or he took his Aderrall.

Derek despised those pills.

He'd deny it, but truth was he liked when the younger man babbled. The words poured from his mouth like a cascade, calming his nerves.

On a particularly tiring night he drifted to sleep, lulled by the younger man's talk. He woke up without his shoes and jacket. The covers wrapped carefully around him. At first he panicked, his claws sprung without a second thought. It wasn't until he heard Stiles's soft heart beat coming from the floor that he calmed down.

The younger man had made himself a nest on the floor. The research was printed and stapled on the nightstand.

"Derek?" Stiles asked groggily lifting his head slightly. "Go back to sleep man 's too early."

"You're on the floor," Derek stated. He looked at the empty space on the bed.

"You don't say," Stiles replied with all the sarcasm he could muster so early in the morning. Turning away from Derek, he wrapped himself in his blankets.

"Get up here," Derek whispered lightly.

"No," the teenager pouted, head buried in his pillow.

Derek settled back in bed and lifted the covers, "Get up here or I'm ripping your throat-"

"Fine," the younger man huffed as he lazily crawled into bed stifling a yawn. "Don't get your knickers in a twist."

Derek was about to tell him off, when Stiles's arm flung itself over him, his hand resting lightly over the alpha's heart.

"Mmm, you're warm," he heard the teen murmur.

Derek instinctively wrapped his left arm under Stiles, dragging him closer. He felt as the younger man burrowed his face in the crook of his neck. He took a deep breath, inhaling the scent that was Stiles. A playful scent made up of innocence and optimism.

Two things the werewolf had lost.

He closed his eyes and wrapped his right arm protectively around the smaller man's waist

It was the first time in years that he fell into and easy sleep.

Those nights were repeated whenever possible with the exception that Stiles no longer waited for the alpha's request to join the bed. After doing research or finishing homework, Stiles would unabashedly hop in bed, letting Derek's arms wrap greedily around him.

"You're like an octopus," Stiles began wearily. "You're my were-topus."

"Shut up," Derek snorted.

Stiles smiled and let himself get pressed to the werewolf's body.

o.o.o.o.o

This time, Stiles was already in bed; his frail frame taking less space than usual on the bed.

Derek had been so concerned with the betas being okay, that he'd missed the jeep driving away. He'd been hurt but as always, he'd been too stubborn to let anyone take him home.

He closed the window behind him and made his way to the bed, careful not to wake the teen. Peering through the covers, were a pair of bright auburn eyes and a tired smile.

Settling into bed, Derek returned the smile and reached towards the younger male only to have him scoot back. Even with the darkness of the room , Derek wasn't able to mask how much that'd hurt him.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked softly. "I can help with the pain if that's-"

"That's not it," interrupted Stiles.

Derek's brows furrowed in concern, "then what is it?"

Stiles stayed silent. He searched the other's face, calculating his words before saying them. It was this over thinking that made Derek nervous.

Different scenarios began playing in the alpha's head. Scenarios where Stiles kicked him out of bed and pushed him out the window telling him to stay away. Or maybe Stiles had decided that running with wolves was more dangerous than he thought and was leaving the pack in order to lead a normal life.

_Without me._

Because if Derek Hale knew anything, it was that "normal" and "werewolves" didn't go together.

Stiles's hand running through his hair brought him out of his reverie. He took the hand and brought it to his lips. He sprinkled the hand with light kisses, locking eyes with the other.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked with a hint of sadness.

"I want to be useful," Stiles whispered back. "You do realize I have nothing to offer right? I mean at all."

Derek vigorously shook his head. "That's not true, you do all the resear -"

"Anyone else can use google, Derek," he said in exasperation. "I'm just a stupid hu-"

"You're not-," Derek began.

Stiles continued, "-man and-"

"Allison is a human too," Derek cut him again.

"Will you let me finish?!" Stiles huffed.

"We have humans in our pack."

"And they can defend themselves!" Stiles shut his eyes in frustration. "I get thrown around every ti-"

"I can protect you," Derek insisted.

"I don't want you to. I want to hold my ground for once. You want a tough pack and the thing is that I'm anything but. Apart from my awesome google skills and sarcastic comments, I'm not what you want," he finished.

They stayed silent for a couple of seconds until Stiles felt Derek's arms around him and drag him closer.

"I got a solution," Derek whispered.

Stiles was all ears.

"Instead of giving me what I want," Derek continued. "Give me what I need."

Stiles looked up, his curiosity piqued. "And what you need is-?"

"Your love."

Stiles beamed and pulled Derek down for a kiss. The kiss was sweet and chaste. Every feeling of inadequacy and fear that burdened them melted away.

As was habit, Stiles buried his head under Derek's chin, his hand over the alpha's heart. In turn, Derek held his hand and kissed the top of his head.

The alpha knew this wasn't going to be easy. He wasn't concerned about the pack's reaction. They were loyal and would probably throw a party when they found out, all courtesy of Lydia. It was the other packs lurking in the shadows he was worried about. Being the alpha's mate meant added danger.

He'd train Stiles. Teach him to stand on his own if the need ever presented itself. They'd get through it. Whatever _it_ was.

He heard the younger male mumble into his neck, making the knot in his heart loosen significantly. He brought Stiles's hand to the lips and kissed it unconsciously. He concentrated on the steady heart beat of the other and soon fell into a relaxed sleep.

He went to sleep knowing they'd be okay.

Because love is all they had and it would save them.


End file.
